judgments, he had stood with the smoke of ascending incense, as a daysman betwixt heaven and earth -as a beacon between the living and the dead. And yet again, as his eye wandered afar to the south, tracing the "great and terrible wilderness of Kadesh Barnea," and yet onward in imagination even to the awful peak of Sinai, how profound were his remembrances of that long and wondrous pilgrimage, how overwhelming his sense of the marvellous works which the Lord had done in the way, how unfathomable his wonderings concerning the mystery of his own priestly ministry therein.

But from the marvellous remembrances of the past, and the unanswerable questionings of the future, the high priest recalled himself to the present, and gave all the thrilling intensity of feeling that yet remained for earth, unto his brother and his son. Unto whom, in the long ages, hath Mount Hor revealed the lofty grandeur, the profound grief, the agonizing sorrow of that last interview of Aaron with Moses and Eleazer. Every one of the three had come up to the mountain top, with his own heavy burden of soul. Moses, as the civil ruler of the nation, to part with his great coadjutor in its ecclesiastical head, and to breathe a last farewell over an only brother; Eleazer, to be clothed with the official garments of his father, and to be invested with the holy duties and dignities of his birthright; and Aaron, to gaze once more on the wide spreading tents of Israel, to look once more upon sun, and sky, and mountain, and plain, to speak words of hope and comfort to a bereaved brother, to pour a father's dying blessing upon a beloved son, and to gird up his soul to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and enter the sanctuary of Heaven above, into the presence of the living God. "And Aaron died there, in the top of the

mount;" and, when the brother and son returned to the waiting people, Eleazer was the high priest of Israel; and Moses, with his kindred, smitten down upon the right hand and the left, stood alone of the children of Amram.

The thirty days mourning for Aaron were hardly expired, when the people encountered a new enemy. King Arad, who dwelt in the southern border of the land of Canaan, had heard of their approach by the way of the spies, and now came out unto them to battle. At this crisis, Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, that if the Canaanites should be delivered into their hand, they would utterly destroy their cities, a judgment divinely purposed against them for their exceeding wickedness. The subsequent events brought forth both the granting of the condition, and the fulfilment of the vow. And, in commemoration of this conquest over the Canaanites, the name of the place was called Hormah.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE BRAZEN SERPENT.

ON journeying from Mount Hor, Moses could not take a direct northward course, because he had been forbidden by the king of Edom to pass through his territories. He therefore turned southward toward the eastern tongue of the Red Sea, or sea of Elath, in order to compass the land of Edom. But the backward journey was long and tedious, and because the faces of the people were not set towards Canaan, their soul was much discouraged because of the way. Again they murmured because of their light bread; and, as they passed the mountainous region surrounding the encampment of Zalmonah, the Lord sent fiery serpents among them, from whose poisonous burning bite many of the people died. Their path from Zalmonah was marked by an unbroken line of graves, and still a ceaseless wail of lamentation arose over the dead and the dying. At Punon they came to Moses with words of repentance and contrition, praying his intercession for the removal of the terrible judgment.

"We have sinned," was their heartfelt confession, "for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

"And the Lord said unto Moses, 'Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass

that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.""

On the floor of his tent lay Asriel, the son of Jubal, writhing in anguish beneath the consuming sting of the burning serpent. The cushion, which, with ministering tenderness, the aged Zilpah had placed beneath his head, was crushed and wrung within his agonized hands; the cup of healing by his side was dashed in pieces, and, with quick despairing cries, he besought Zilpah to hasten, hasten with cooling waters.

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"O, my son, deliverance is at hand," exclaimed Zilpah, as with her pitcher of fresh water she rushed to the side of Asriel. "Praise the Lord, thou shalt yet be saved."

"Nay, nay, mock me not, my mother. Pour on water quick, quickly, I beseech thee, that it may quench this terrible burning."

"Moses hath made a serpent of brass," said Zilpah, "and lifted it up on high by the word of the Lord.”

"Mock me not, my mother. Speak not of Moses; I hear not thy words. Who shall deliver me from this consuming fire?"

"The Lord shall deliver thee, my son," answered Zilpah, taking the hands of Asriel in her own, with the calm firmness of one accustomed to command, "hear, and understand. The Lord hath commanded Moses to set up on high a brazen serpent, and he hath promised that whosoever is bitten when he shall look upon it shall live."

"Thou knowest not, my mother," answered Asriel. "Thou canst not know. Can the sight of my eyes restore my bones which are devoured as stubble; or cause the blood to flow, which is drunk up as an ox licketh up grass? Water, my mother, more water, or I die."

"The Lord hath spoken it," answered Zilpah, "Thou shalt look upon the brazen serpent and live."

"A brazen serpent lifted up on high," replied Asriel. "What cooling hath it, what healing, what power? alas! alas! my mother, thy words are but vanity."

"Wilt thou question the decrees of the Lord?" asked Zilpah. "Wilt thou mark out a path for the Almighty? When he bids thee look and live, shalt thou say, 'Why hast thou done this?""

"Let them look and live who yet have hope," said Asriel, "but for me, it is nought. Seest thou not that I am already within the power of the grave? Shall death give back its prey? Nay, nay, for me it is nought."

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"O, my son, my son, my only one in Israel, how shall I give thee up, how could I see thee die?" cried Zilpah, in an agony of tears. "The Lord will not cut off my last refuge, he will not put out my last hope. Only look according to the word of the Lord, and it shall be accounted unto thee for healing and salvation. O, my son, turn not from the life the Lord holdeth out to thee."

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"I will look, yea, I will lift up mine eyes with my whole heart for thy sake, my mother, and may the Lord fulfil unto me his word," answered Asriel fervently, "but how shall I go forth?"

"How shall I praise thy name, O Lord?" exclaimed Zilpah, lifting her eyes heavenward. Then turning to Asriel she said, "If I could but give unto thee of my faith, my son, it should raise thee up upon thy feet, and thou shouldest walk forth in strength. But I will quickly bring them who shall carry thee out, that thou mayest lift up thine eyes unto thy salvation."

In a moment Zilpah returned to the tent with Joseph and Japheth, the brothers of Jubal. And the strong men